Of the Oddest Predicaments…
by Takari-san
Summary: NejiTen (Neji x TenTen) - A not-so-ordinary day... A very disturbing errand tasked to a young Hyuuga... and all the events that come along in between regarding two genins. :)


**Of the Oddest Predicaments…**

**Pairing: **NejiTen, only rather mild, mostly occurs at the end :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or the dear darling characters, Neji and TenTen :(

**Dedication**: This fic is dedicated to **Larkspur1**! Without you, I would never have finished this :P.

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**Warning: **This is PG-13 for a reason… this might be rather disturbing… or maybe a whole LOT disturbing… but I hope it'lll amuse you nonetheless :D

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_"Neji… I need you for something…" Hyuuga Hiashi called out his nephew as he was practicing a new technique of his, "It's a rather urgent thing."_

_The longhaired Hyuuga turned to his uncle with a questioning expression on his face, "What is it Hiashi-sama? Is there something wrong? Do you need me to fix the refrigerator again?" he narrowed his eyes at his uncle. His uncle apparently – after they had reconciled with each other of course – had thought of Neji as a mechanic and all around handyman, because lately, all Neji did was fix the broken appliances in his uncle's household. He had to wonder though, in a huge house, with only a grown man and two timid daughters residing in it: how in heavens did so many appliances get broken?_

_"No… no… something of much more importance…" the grown usually serious and composed Hyuuga man told his respected nephew, "This might be a big task, but you're the only one who can do it…"_

_This caught Neji's attention and he stared at his uncle, waiting for his uncle to tell him what sort of errand this was…_

_"Neji… I need you to buy my daughter, Hinata a…"_

_­_---

"Sanitary napkin?!" Hyuuga Neji said exasperatedly as walked around the streets of Konoha with a frown on his face and his hands inside his pockets, "What in heavens is Hiashi-sama thinking? It's a girl's job to do such a thing! How does he expect ME to get Hinata one of those… whatchamacallits?"

He found himself in front of one of Konoha's plenty 24 hours open convenience store, thinking of a plan to get one of those… umm… napkins… without getting his male pride scarred in any manner, and apparently, he had no idea to do such at the moment. He knew he could not just barge in a convenience store and ask for it… It would be very… odd… abnormal… and absolutely terrifying, frightening and traumatizing for him. On the other hand, going to the forbidden aisle of the store and trying to pick something out with a 50 of him getting the wrong item is also a disturbing thought.

Hiashi-sama was waiting for him… and Hinata needed them – it was her first time… and Hiashi-sama had been unsure of what to do. And as if the day wasn't bad enough, Hinata's mother had been in a conference with another noble family in the Hidden Village of the Mist.

_Get a hold of yourself Hyuuga Neji! You are the one known to have the ultimate defense, once the number one rookie and one of the best genin in all of Konoha. Buying an item, even if such an item is only for the opposite gender, in the convenience store is nothing! _Neji forced his mind to believe but it his always did end up in a bad way. He was always a pessimist. _Who are you kidding Neji? Such an act will destroy you and your reputation!_

He knew there was no help for him, no light in the darkness, and no solace in his troubles… Of course not, where in heavens would he find a girl to manipulate into buying such an item, for him no less…? No one… no sane female would such an act. And he did know very few women…

"Neji! What are you doing standing still in front of a convenience store?" an arm suddenly appeared and strangled his neck, "Thinking of whether to buy a popsicle or an ice cream cone in this warm weather?"

The Hyuuga turned to face the said person with annoyance, "Who---? TenTen…?"

The weapons master flashed a cheerful smile at her teammate, "Well yeah, that is my name…"

The Hyuuga stared at the genin in front of him, studying her features with his keen eyes. Well, TenTen was… a girl… at least… that's what he thought. He never really did view her because of her gender… she was always… might he say, different. She lacked the grace and courtesy a lady should possess, she refused to wear a skirt sometimes even in formal affairs, she left the boy watching to other women and preferred to train with kunais… Definitely, she was not one of your typical girls. But she could pass for a beautiful one; he had seen her once with her hair not in the usual bun during a mission where her ribbons were torn by the enemy's kunai. What surprised him was that he still had the time to observe her when they were already in a C-rank mission and having a rather difficult time.

However, she did look quite so beautiful then…

"Umm… Neji… what are you looking at me so intensely for…?" his teammate asked uneasily due to Neji's unwavering stare.

The Hyuuga snapped out of his trance – how his mind wandered from his certain predicament to TenTen's femininity was beyond him. He then opened his mouth, saying perhaps the most careless and inhumane thing in his life, "TenTen… you're a girl right?"

What he gained from such a statement was a killer punch from TenTen, which he barely managed to avoid.

"Well of course I'm a girl, do you think I'm a guy?" the weapons master said furiously, a dangerous aura surrounding her.

The Hyuuga regained his composure and once again put up his cool and cold front, "That's not what I meant… well… Hiashi-sama told me to do an errand for him… and I… listen up because I won't say this again…"

The genin eyed the Hyuuga inquisitively; one wrong answer and he will be sent to the depths of hell…

"I need your help."

The weapons master could not help but let out a laugh (and to say they're making such a scene in front of the convenience store), "The almighty, cold, cool, strong and genius Hyuuga Neji needs my help? Whatever is thing you my help for anyway?"

The Hyuuga gave her one of his often-used death glares, "Hiashi-sama… told me… to buy…"

"To buy a what?" TenTen asked having no idea what it could be that he couldn't do it by himself and seemingly needed a girl to do so.

"A sanitary napkin for Hinata…" The Hyuuga said with defeat earning a loud boisterous laughter from his teammate beside him.

"You're kidding, right?" The weapons master said, looking at the defeated Hyuuga with an unconvinced look, "You have got to be kidding…"

The Hyuuga arched an eyebrow, piercing his white-silvery eyes at TenTen, "Do I seem like the type of person who enjoys joking around? Of course not! Hiashi-sama really just told me to buy… err… that."

TenTen couldn't believe what she was hearing… and smirked upon hearing the rather frantic tone in the Byakugan wielder's voice, "By any chance Neji, are you scared of approaching the counter and asking for it? Hmm…? Can I see cold sweat over there? Will you begin to stutter?"

"NO! I will not… okay then… maybe a little…" Neji said, the last part soft and rushed. He always did have difficulty admitting his downfalls and weaknesses, and perhaps ALL Hyuuga men had been that way. At least, from his observation that was the generalization that came of it.

TenTen laughed once more – this day has proven to be rather amusing for her, "Fine then… I'll help you… but you have to buy me an ice cream cone afterwards, alright?"

"Whatever…" the Hyuuga rolled his eyes.

TenTen turned to Neji and stuck out her tongue, "Keep up that attitude and I won't help you!" She then ran to the convenience store with a soft laughter.

Neji observed her from a distance as he slowly entered the store, trailing behind TenTen. It was very much like that day… TenTen without her ribbons… today, was like that day… because Neji seemed to view her in a different perspective… not just the **person** who helps him train, not just the **person **who is his teammate, not just the **person** who gets to tease him and gets away with it… No, not just a person… a **girl**... a **woman**… and… a young man like him – he knew – could fall for young women like her.

_Wait… just what in heavens am I thinking? _The Hyuuga suddenly realized what he was thinking, _Certainly today… has been a very weird day…_

"Neji! Come here for a second!" TenTen's unmistakably loud voice rang in the air.

The Hyuuga followed like a tamed puppy – and really, today could have been the day marked as the end of the world. He muttered darkly, eyes glued to the floor not at all wanting to see whatever was on the right or left, knowing that there was that possibility that he might gain information that really isn't necessary for a warrior like him to know…

"Hey, what does your cousin need? Anything specific?" she asked looking through the different brands and packets.

The Hyuuga, perhaps in the one rare moments of his life, turned as red as a beet, "H-How would I know?"

"Geez… who would have ever thought you were such a wuss?" TenTen scratched her head in frustration, she grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to glance at the contents of the shelves.

_With Wings?_

The Hyuuga stared at the caption with a dumbfounded look… _They fly… how…?_

More things caught the attention of the Hyuuga… _With odor-neutralizers?__ How so…? Is there anything odor to neutralize? Women and their… cycles… they're very odd… and what's with this catch line? 'It will never let you down'?! Whatever could these things mean…?_

"So… which one do you think your cousin needs?" TenTen said with a sweatdrop seeing the awestruck expression on Neji Hyuuga's face – it was definitely not an everyday event.

The genin turned to his long-time companion and teammate, "TenTen… how do these napkin-things… how do they fly?"

"…"

"…?"

"… never mind… I guess the normal ones would be fine for Hinata-chan… God, men… always so stupid." TenTen smacked her head with her right hand all the while get a package from the shelf.

"I still don't get it…" he muttered. Never in his life, had Hyuuga Neji felt so… ignorant about certain things.

---

Hyuuga Neji exited the Hyuuga manor after handing the package rather awkwardly to his uncle, meeting the rather giddy and amused weapons master who was stationed at their gates with a cat-like grin on her face.

"I'm guessing you want to collect your ice cream now?" The Hyuuga sighed, finally back to his old cool self as they made their way to a nearby ice cream shop.

"Yep…" TenTen flashed a grin while twirling a kunai in her hand, "Though today's been really interesting… you and your predicament…"

Ignoring the giggle that came from TenTen he glared, "Flavor?"

"Hmm… Chocolate… yeah… chocolate." She replied as she watched Neji hand his money to buy two cones, one for himself and another for his companion. She would never tell a soul, but she really had an attachment to the Hyuuga boy. Most people would just think of him as but another genin in Konoha, no one special – not a little bit as special as the only survivor of the Uchiha clan… but from the moment she met him, he already held a high place in her heart.

Well, in other words…

She liked him.

She never let that secret out though… and probably never will – and with that, she would stay miserable for the rest of her life, she always did think.

"Here." Neji muttered handing her a cone of chocolate ice cream, looking at the other direction with eating his own.

"Mint and chocolate chips? A suitable flavor for a genin just as cold." TenTen commented as the Hyuuga just arched an eyebrow. She then winked, "But one must not let such fool them, deep inside this genin is a boy wondering if sanitary napkins could **fly** if they were '**with wings**'."

"Shut up." The Hyuuga said – he never really did want that event to be ever brought out again. His pride was at stake.

The weapons master chuckled in amusement, twirling a strand of her gone-astray hair (the kunai she held had been safely secured in her black-hold like weapon's pouch), "But honestly… Neji, I have to admit, that was one of the funniest things I have ever heard!"

The Hyuuga paused for a moment, watching as his companion twirl her hair playfully with her fingers – like a girl… as in… a real woman. _There I go again… _thought the Hyuuga. It had been a weird day. Weird events occurred and equally as weird feelings regarding the weapons master stirred up. It was the first time ever he felt like such – it made him feel rather uneasy, but he wasn't one to show it.

"W-What is it now?" she said uneasily, falling under the heated gaze of the genin.

The Hyuuga turned away from her and said in his normal cool way, "It's nothing…"

"It's been a weird day hasn't it, Neji?" TenTen inquired as she looked up the sky before once again licking her ice cream.

"Yes…" Neji replied flatly with a sigh.

"Hmm…" TenTen said thoughtfully, "Speaking of which… you forgot to do something for me…"

"What is it this time? I got you your ice cream, not enough yet?" Neji asked his teammate. Today was a day too frustrating for his tastes.

The genin grinned at the Hyuuga – that grin of hers he hated so much. There was a hidden meaning behind it; something that usually meant torture, for him anyway. "Well… since I helped you today and all… aren't you supposed to thank me?"

The Hyuuga paused facing the weapons master with an odd expression on his face. He continued to just stare, moments ago he had an urge to something he would most definitely regret. God, what the hell was happening to him that day?

"Well… aren't you going to say it?" TenTen smirked.

Well, one person has his limits – the day had been weird and terribly frustrating.

Needless to say, Hyuuga Neji snapped and let that suppressed part of him take over. - that equals bad news for Neji-kun's pride :) Tsk Tsk.

"Thank you…"

"O.o … Err… what?" TenTen uttered, eyes-wider than dinner plates.

The Hyuuga bent down a little, nearing the face of the weapons master, so close that it was very suggestive already.

The weapons master could not help but blush, "N-Neji… what… what are you doing…?"

The Hyuuga gave her chocolate ice cream a swift lick, and flashed her his trademark smirk, "Nothing… Thanks again."

"O.O" The weapons master just continued to stare at the Hyuuga blankly, speechless and red as a beet.

It was a weird day, why yes of course. However, Hyuuga Neji would never deny that it was quite the experience. It thought him lots, about things and about himself, especially about his growing attachment to the chocolate-ice cream eating girl beside him.

**::Owari – The End::**

Takari-san: Done :D Hope you liked it… and that you are not that much disturbed… oh and for Larkspur1… I 3 you very muchly :D


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